Comforting: Risotto with Rucola & Bresaola

After all the lavish parties have been visited and gourmet meals and rich feasts tasted, savored and enjoyed there comes a time when every foodie turns to the simple, no-nonsense and undressed-up charms of comfort food. It's like stepping out of those expensive designer high-heels and into the undemanding consolation of flip-flops.

"typically inexpensive, uncomplicated, and easy to prepare. Many people turn to comfort food for familiarity, emotional security, or special reward,"

I like to describe it as food that hugs you from the inside. In my opinion that is exactly what comfort food does. It reaches out to you, cutting through bad weather, bad moods, weariness or irritation and engulfs you in a soothing embrace, almost as if it were saying "There, there!" Suddenly, whatever you may be feeling or whatever your current situation is - tired traveler, overstretched homemaker, or troubled teenager - everything around you blurs out and vanishes. The first mouthfuls takes you straight back to your comfort zone - the familiar, the good and the soul-nourishing - to the time when all was well.

By the way, comfort foods should not be mistaken with favorite foods. Favorite foods are normally fancier and more opulent. These kind of foods are often associated with gorgeous locations or finer restaurants - like that Lobster Thermidor on the beach bar on St. Barth. To enjoy favorite foods people dress up, go to a party or visit their favorite restaurant.

In comparison, comfort food is enjoyed with no frills. It's not fussy, expensive or difficult to eat. I enjoy my comfort foods most in a simple inexpensive bowl, me wearing my "feel-good" pants and often sitting on the sofa. For me, comfort food rarely draws an exclamation, only an appreciative and eloquent silence of pure soothing comfort.

More often then not, my comfort food includes rice. I love the velvety caress of the warm, sticky, snowy-white mould of risotto, steaming in my favorite bowl. Even preparing this creamy dish comforts me, getting me into a state of meditation while stirring and pouring. Making the perfect risotto is not as difficult as people say it is. It takes 15-20 minutes to make a basic risotto - just 15-20 minutes to enter your comfort zone. This risotto is actually my favorite. I use fresh and crispy rucola leaves sprinkled with bresaola to give a perfect texture and taste.

Rucola

Call it roquette, rocket, arugula or arugula, one thing I have to recommend is to give these petite greens a try. Rucola is an aromatic, peppery salad green and is very popular in Italian cuisine. It grows wild in Asia and all over the entire Mediterranean.

Rucola leaves are best gathered when they are young and they can be tossed into salads or soups, pastas or poultry, I love making a pesto out of them. Rucola is a rich source of iron as well as vitamins A and C, with a 1/2 cup serving having only two calories.

Storing and Selecting Buy rucola with the roots still attached. It will lose its zest and flavor fast enough with them on - and even faster with them off. Look for bright, tender, fresh-looking leaves with no signs of yellowing or dark spots. They should not be at all limp.

Use rucola as soon as possible, as the flavor and texture will fade very fast. If you need to keep it a day or two, do not wash it or remove the roots. Sprinkle with a little water, wrap in paper towels or a clean cloth towel, put in a plastic bag, and refrigerate. Remove the roots and wash only when you are ready to use it. Rucola tends to be very sandy, so washing it well is very important

Substitutions Rucola can be substituted with water cress for a similar peppery flavor. You can also use fresh baby spinach, however the flavor will not be the same. Dandelion greens also have a tart flavor but they are a bit more bitter.

Eat Fresh Update

The lovely Marta of An Italian in the US, who lives in California has a fresh load of squash, cabbage, cauliflower, apples and so much more in her weekly fresh produce shopping bag. Check out her gorgeous Eat Fresh bag!

A few of you mentioned they were having trouble sending me their Eat Fresh entries as the mails were bouncing back. Folks ... my mistake! Seemed like I misspelled my own email address. Sorry! Please send your emails to blogmeeta@gmail.com. Your deadline is March 31st.

Bring the stock to a boil. In another pot heat the butter and olive oil together and add the chopped onion and garlic. On a low heat sauté very gently for 15 minutes until the flavors have combined and caramelized. Be careful not to allow them to take on color. In the Italian kitchen this is called soffritto. Add the rice and raise the temperature.

Keep stirring the rice while in cooks and takes on a glassy color - approx. 1 minute. At this point add the wine (or stock) and allow the rice to take on the wonderful aroma.

Once this has evaporated and the rice begins to get dry, add thyme and bay leaves. Pour a ladle full of the stock. Stir well and add a touch of salt. Reduce the temperature so that the mixture bubbles slightly. Now, keep adding ladle full of stock, allow the rice to soak this up and stirring every now and then. When the rice has soaked the liquid add another ladle full. By "massaging" the rice this way you release the creamy starch from the rice giving the dish a fantastic consistency. This whole process takes approx. 15-20 minutes. The rice grains should be soft but still have a slight crunch to them. Now add a bit of salt and pepper, but be careful as the stock is normally salty enough - so please taste before!

Take the pot off the heat and add the butter, bresaola, rucola and parmesan cheese. Mix well and cover. Allow the rice to take on all the flavors - 2 minutes. This is the moment of truth - as giving the risotto this time allows it to unfold it's perfect creamy-moist consistency.

Vegetarian Tip: leave the bresaola out. Optionally you can add a few dried porchini mushrooms for wonderful aroma.

Verdict

A spoonful of this risotto makes me sigh out loud. Pure comfort right down to it's last creamy rice grain. Soeren and Tom cannot get enough of this lovely flavored risotto. By adding the rucola leaves right at the end, the wonderful peppery flavor is preserved, as is the crunch.

If you want more comfort foods, check back here over the weekend when I roundup the 80+ comfort food entries!

Well if comfort food is not frilly, how come yours seems to look so spectacular? Really lovely Meeta.Too funny that you miss-typed your own email. I think I had a time where my typing correct and fast were improving but now my mind seems disconnected from the fingers and one is never in the same place with the other.

I have to admit that I have never tried Rucola (arugula). After reading your wonderful entry on this beautiful deep green vegetable, I am so tempted. Your creamy risotto looks mouth-watering and the creaminess of it must be to-die-for! Absolutely beautiful! =DShandy@Pastry Heaven

When I saw the greens picture, I was confused...I didn't know the name Rucola, but I have seen Arugula being used in many dishes on Food network here. Then I read the other name :D. I have never tried this herb, I think its time now...

Risotto is a dish I watch frequently on TV. Don't know why I haven't tried it yet. Your version looks too good. I will have to come out of my "Indian food" mood and try these sometime :)

I love Argula (or Rucola) in my salads. I just tried orzo last week and next I definitely want to make Risotto. I have heard that making a good Risotto can be quite tricky but your recipe gives me hope :) Thanks for the vegetarian tip.

I just thoroughly read your About Page and I think it's a fab idea. Einfach ausgezeichnet!! I feel I know you so much better now. I loved your openness. You really love to embrace life to the fullest. That's the impression I got. Do keep updating that page. It's fantastic.

Thank you for visiting What's For Lunch, Honey? and taking time to browse through my recipes, listen to my ramblings and enjoy my photographs. I appreciate all your comments, feedback and input. I will answer your questions to my best knowledge and respond to your comments as soon as possible.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy your stay here and that I was able to make this an experience for your senses.

Hello, I am Meeta a freelance food photographer, stylist and writer living in the cuturally rich city of Weimar, Germany with my husband and our son, where I enjoy preparing multi-cultural home cooked meals with fresh organic ingredients. What's for lunch, Honey? is my award winning food blog where I combine my love for food with my love for photography and styling...